


Silent Princess

by kazkazooz



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Breath of the Wild Spoilers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, POV Alternating, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-18 03:03:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21670780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazkazooz/pseuds/kazkazooz
Summary: The story of the princess and her silent knight gradually open up to and eventually fall in love with each other. Plus saving the world together.[Spideychelle Breath of the Wild AU]
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Comments: 12
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

The night before the ceremony, Peter decided to bid his aunt a proper farewell, for it could be the last time they'd share together.

Tomorrow, he will be officially appointed as one of the Hyrule's Champions, as well as the princess' personal knight. Bearing in mind that the daunting task that all the Champions shall face, Peter was well aware of the fact that there's a fair chance he wouldn't come back alive. Yet this is his fate, his duty, and his responsibility. He was chosen by the Master Sword. There’s no way he could walk away from this path, even if it’ll end up him leaving his aunt May alone.

So he came to say goodbye.

Peter knocked on the door of the small, shabby house of his aunt’s that he once lived in as a child. Everything about the house looked familiar to him, and yet he couldn’t recall what his life used to be when he still lived with his aunt under this roof. That seemed like another life to him, now.

After a moment, he heard his aunt’s footsteps approaching. May’s head peeked out through the slit of the door. “Peter? What are you doing here? It’s late.” She was slightly surprised, but immediately stepped back to make way for him to come in. Peter silently followed her into the living room. “I thought you weren’t allowed out of the castle at this time of night?” May turned to look at him, scanning his face and trying to decipher his solemn expression.

As Peter looked at his aunt’s concerned face, a pang of guilt started to engulf him. But he knew it’s only going to get harder if he let the silent dragged on, so he cut to the chase.

“I was chosen as a Champion and the princess’ knight.” He stopped a beat before he went on, “I came to say goodbye, May.”

“Princess’ knight? That sounds like a huge deal. But, wait. What is a ‘Champion’? And why are you saying goodbye? Are you guys going to travel somewhere out of town?”

Peter gulped and took a deep breath. He had to try his best to explain something even himself didn’t fully understand.

“The Champions are warriors chosen to defend Hyrule from the threat of Calamity Ganon, and I’m one of them. I’m also the princess’ knight, which means it will be my duty to protect her at all costs.” Peter hesitated before he added, “Even if I have to risk my life.”

“…What?” May stared at him as if he was crazy. She then started to pace back and forth in the living room. Peter watched her in silence, the guilt swirled in his guts. Neither of them said a word for a couple minutes.

She finally slowed down her steps and came to a halt. She looked everywhere in the room except for Peter’s eyes, tears strolling down her cheeks. “I shouldn’t have let Tony Stark recruit you.” Her voice was trembling.

“This isn’t Tony’s fault.” Peter tried to be calm.

“I shouldn’t have let you join the Royal Guards!” May quietly yelled. “Just because Ben died—”

“Ben would’ve been proud of me!”

“He would’ve been proud of you, whatever you choose to do! Doesn’t mean you have to risk your life!”

“This is my responsibility! My father was a Royal Guard who dedicated himself to becoming a knight!” Peter nearly burst. After he managed to contain himself a bit, he stated firmly: “The Sword had chosen me. I must take on this path.”

May finally met his eyes. She tried to search for any indication of doubts in his eyes, to question his resolve.

She failed.

“Just promise me you will be careful.” She sounded and looked defeated.

Peter properly looked at May for the first time of the night, at last. His aunt looked older than he remembered. She was a youthful woman for her age who has the most radiant smile in the world. But tonight she looked nothing like her usual self. He hated that he always worries her. He hated that there’s too big of a chance he’ll die and his aunt will truly be alone with no one else to lean on. He hated that with all his aunt had given him, he had nothing to give her in return.

He could only try to reason with himself that he’s doing this for her, too. It wasn’t untrue, either. If the prophecy was true, the Champions will have to stop Ganon before he returns to his full power, or else the whole kingdom of Hyrule will perish at the hands of Ganon’s.

He was granted the great power of the Master Sword, and therefore it was his responsibility to carry this burden.

“I will be careful, but I can’t promise I will come back alive.”

* * *

Peter sneaked back in the castle near midnight.

He stealthily made his way through the quiet, dimly torchlit hallways and staircases lest he stir up any disturbance. As he walked down the corridor leading to the barracks, he sensed someone crept up on him.

“I thought you ran away.”

It was Tony.

Peter turned to face him. He willed himself not to show his anger, stabilized his voice the best he could, “You don’t trust me?”

Tony made a vaguely sarcastic face and swayed his head to the side, “Just thought you’d took your aunt with you and ran as far away as you can from the danger.”

“If the Calamity Ganon returns in its full force, there’d be no place safe in this world.” Peter frowned at him, then spat out the following words through his gritted teeth, “And I made a promise.”

“To dedicate yourself to be the princess’ knight, yes.” Tony slowly stepped towards him and stopped until he’s merely two feet away from Peter. “Tell me, what do you know about the princess?”

The furrows between Peter’s brows deepened. He did not expect that question, but he answered truthfully, anyway. “She’s the commander of the Champions.”

“True. And?”

Peter was more than slightly annoyed. Still, he complied. “The Princess possesses the blood of the Goddess and inherits the divine power to seal Ganon away.”

“Indeed. Have you heard about the rumor, then?”

“…What rumor?” Peter could finally see where this conversation was heading to.

“That the princess has yet to unlock her divine sealing power.” Tony announced.

Peter inhaled, then let out a sigh. “Just get to your point, Tony.”

“You do realize if she fails to fulfill her duty, the job to defeat Ganon will become yours, right?” Tony fixed him with an intense gaze.

A beat. “I don’t see how that affects me. Our goal of defeating Ganon remains the same.” Peter responded calmly.

“Oh, but the responsibility is way bigger.” Tony dramatically raised a hand and made a gesture to pin his index finger on Peter’s Chest, “As the princess’ knight, your responsibility is the princess’ safety. The princess’ responsibility, however, is the whole Kingdom of Hyrule. Are you sure you’re ready to take up on that?”

“You’re saying this as if you’re sure she’d fail.” He deflected.

“I’m saying this is a huge responsibility that will likely fall upon you and you clearly haven’t thought it through yet.” Tony said with finality.

They gotten themselves into a staring contest, both were waiting for the other to break first. Eventually, it was Peter who ended the stretches of silence, “I am the princess’ knight. My duty is to assist her to fulfill her duty, by whatever means. I’m also the chosen hero, so it was already my duty to face Ganon.”

Tony looked equally impressed and disappointed. “You really made up your mind, huh?” He resigned.

“You want me to quit?”

Tony turned sideways and paced a few steps, “As the captain of the Royal Guards, no.” He faced Peter once again, “As the mentor who doesn’t want their protégé’s death on their conscience, yes.”

First May, and now Tony. The worries and troubles he had brought upon his loved ones wounded him deeply. Yet life offered him no other choices.

“None of this is your fault, Tony. I made the decision to join you myself. I was born with the power to wield The Master Sword. It had chosen me.”

“Yeah, we all get it. You’re the chosen one. Stop flaunting already.” Tony huffed, throwing a joke as an attempt at levity. Peter didn’t laugh. He found it harder to do that day by day.

The two started to walk down the corridor once more. “So. I assume you went to say goodbye to your aunt?” Tony asked.

“…Yeah.”

“I’d say I’ll take care of her for you but I am a Royal Guard myself.” Tony smiled bitterly, “I guess I can have my friend Happy to look out for her. He’s the chef in the kitchen. Nice guy.”

Peter wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea of leaving his aunt in the hands of a strange man, but he decided to trust Tony’s judgement. Besides, his aunt could really use some company. A “Thanks.” was all he could muster.

They reached the entry of the barracks. Tony patted his back, “You should get some sleep. Tomorrow’s the big day.”

“Right. Good night, Tony.”

“G’night, Kid.”

* * *

Peter had immediately awakened at dawn. Despite the dreamless sleep, he was far from well-rested. He woke up with his muscle around the shoulders tensed hardly enough to hurt.

He thought about the conversations he had with May and Tony last night. It had been a while since he had the imminent sense of the burden that he was doomed to carry, probably dated a few years back when he was chosen by The Sword, not long after he became a Royal Guard.

After Uncle Ben died, Aunt May had been struggling financially to make ends meet. Watching his aunt’s health noticeably started to deteriorate, Peter accepted Tony’s offer at once. A Royal Guard was granted a generous amount of payment along with a fief. It would be sufficient for his aunt to retire, completely. May had argued against his decision at first, only later persuaded by Tony for the fact that such arrangement would once again allow Peter to resume the practice of swordsmanship.

Peter had always got the knack for swordsmanship. He had bested adults in swordplay when he was merely four years old. He will no doubt become the greatest swordsman of all Hyrule, Peter’s father had said to him when he won against his mentor Tony for the first time. It had been his goal and dream to achieve that one day.

But then his Parents died when he was 6.

Peter was taken in by his aunt and uncle right after. He had dropped the sword then on, spending his time mostly running errands at the Inn where May worked as a waitress or helping out Ben with the business. That’s how Peter had lived his life up until 14, when his Uncle Ben got brutally murdered by the swarming monsters during one of his travels. The monsters had increased in number over the past few years. It was a sign of the resurrection of Ganon, so he had heard.

All of his misfortunes led his way to where he stood on this day.

Peter got up from his bed to get dressed and to prepare for the day. A blue tunic embroidered with white lines along the edges of the clothing was sent to him, yesterday. He was told that it was the Champions’ uniform and that he should wear it for the inauguration ceremony. It fitted him perfectly. So perfectly fitting that it’s almost ironic. He had never been one who fit in. Ever since he was a child, his outstanding talent had set him apart from everyone else. After he moved in with Ben and May, he hardly had any friends anymore. Right from the start of his career as one of the Royal Guards, he was alienated from his comrades for the colossal age gap between him and the rest of them. Him quickly becoming the best swordsman of the kingdom and being chosen by the Master Sword didn’t help with the situation, either. He knew that he’s one of the most popular topics for the people in the castle to gossip about nowadays. Everywhere he went, he felt the eyes on his back. He had hardened himself to become a stoic man who showed no emotions. For all the pressures that rested upon his shoulders, he could not afford to make any mistakes.

From the day he became the owner of The Sword, he’d felt the pressure weighing on him. Now even more so, as he’s soon to be appointed as a Champion and the princess’ knight. His conversation with Tony last night had brought the thought of all the people's lives at stake to the forefront of his mind.

He could not fail.

Peter brushed his fingers through his curls in an attempt to fix his hair. His wild curls made him appear younger, and he was only 16. He didn’t want to look like a foolish child beside the other Champions.

The other Champions, from what little information he got from Tony, are warriors from four different tribes of people across the land of Hyrule. They are from the Rito’s, the Zora’s, the Goron’s and the Gerudo’s. Peter had only known two of them personally. He had befriended Ned the Goron warrior a while ago during his visit to the Death Mountain. After Peter tackled a pack of monsters that sneaked up on them, they chatted and bonded over their love for food. They became brothers since.

And then there’s Gwen. The Zora’s princess, who had excelled in spearmanship. Peter was brought along with his father on a long stay in the Zora’s Domain when he was 4. He had acquainted himself with  her then. She had shown her magical healing power when she offered to heal his wounds that he’d gotten from fighting off some monsters in the forest nearby. She had become a good friend of his, along with a few other Zora, Abe, Charles and Sally, who would practice sword fighting with him.

Yet Peter hadn’t been the same child who once played along with them. When he last visited the Zora’s Domain and saw his old friends, he couldn’t even bring himself to say a word. That childhood they reminded him of was too different from who he was. He was already chosen by The Sword, then. Hailed as the youngest, most accomplished swordsman by everyone. He could tell that Gwen was disappointed at his lack of response, but he was too preoccupied with his own worries.

Now that she’s a Champion too, Peter hoped she’d understand the reason behind his aloofness wasn’t anything personal, but out of his self-imposed restraint on emotions as a result of his overwhelming responsibilities.

Peter let out a sigh as he adjusted The Sword on his back. Its weight served as a constant reminder of his responsibilities. Protecting the princess. Slaying the beasts. Saving the Hyrule Kingdom.

He prayed to the Goddess Hylia for strength in order to fulfill his duties.

* * *

Peter was led to await outside the Sanctum before the ceremony by a Sheikah woman who introduced herself as Dr. Shuri. She came to find Peter in the morning to guide him through the procedures of the event. The woman had a casual, rather cheerful personality, unlike most of the other Sheikahs Peter had met. Her appearance was rare among her people, too: dark skinned and dark red eyes. The only thing she had in common with all the Sheikahs was the silvery-grey hair.

Peter didn’t know much about the Sheikahs, other than they were a tribe of people who served for the Royal Family of Hyrule. A few years ago, the Sheikah scholars had started their research and excavations had taken place all over the Hyrule. It was then they discovered the four Divine Beasts from the relics. They were powerful machines created 10,000 years ago with the advanced Ancient Sheikah Technology to aid the Hero and the Princess, who’s the reincarnation of the Goddess, to defeat Ganon, as told in the Legendary Stories. There were also a whole bunch of autonomous weapons called the Guardians, which were in smaller scale than the Divine Beasts, but powerful nonetheless. The discovery of these creations were what led them to believe the prophecy foretelling Ganon’s return, and thus began their preparations for the looming battle.

Each of the four races had elected their Champion to pilot the according Divine Beast. They were set to assist the Hero, Peter, and the Princess, Michelle.

Peter had only seen the princess from afar before. He had never even looked straight to her face, considering it’s rude for him to stare. Soon, he will officially be the designated knight to protect her at all times. He got increasingly nervous about his mission and lost in his own thoughts, failing to register Dr. Shuri’s words.

“Are you even listening?” She arched a brow at him and huffed.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry! …You were saying?”

She smirked and shook her head a little, “I was saying that the princess and I will explain more about the training process of the Champions after the ceremony. We will also show you some Sheikah technology that can help you in combat.”

“Um. Thank you…Dr. Shuri.” Peter was unsure what to reply.

“Oh, don’t be so uptight. You gotta loosen up a little bit, otherwise you’ll stress out the princess even more.” She rolled her eyes.

Peter wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but the mention of the princess didn’t help with his nerves. He tried not to let any of that emotion show, remaining as stoic as always.

“Well, the procession will begin as soon as all the Champions arrive. It should be in no time.”

He was told that the princess was already awaiting inside the Sanctum. The Knights, the Guards and some of the highest ranked Hyrulean Soldiers were there to witness the inauguration as well.

Peter heard the footsteps of various kinds coming up from behind.

“Ah, here they are! You ready?”

Peter wished he could be as light-hearted as she was. He simply nodded in response.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Brad played: [The Champions' Ballad Medley](https://youtu.be/i9ujRQSh7rk)

After the ceremony, all of them had gathered in the Dining Hall for a feast. Ned sat on Peter’s left and Flash, the Rito archer, on his right. Across the table was Princess Michelle, who was exchanging whispers with Liz—the Gerudo’s chief—while Gwen sat quietly on the other side next to the princess, stealing glances at Peter every now and then.

As Ned was animatedly talking about how long it had been since they last met and complaining about the lack of decent “food” for the Goron’s appetite (the Goron normally feed on rocks) on the feast table, the king’s speech from earlier lingered in Peter’s ears.

_“I’d like to thank you for joining me here today, and for your bravery in accepting this…fateful task. I officially appoint you Hyrule’s Champions and bestow upon you this sacred garb. That blue is the symbol of the Royal Family, one that has been passed down for countless generations. Those garments you now wear were all crafted by my daughter, Michelle._

_“Michelle, I trust you with the task only a daughter of the royal family can fulfill. Lead our champions, Princess. And together, protect our kingdom from the threat of Calamity Ganon.”_

Peter pondered on a specific part of that speech longer than the others. That Princess Michelle had hand-crafted the tunic he was wearing at the moment, all by herself. When a servant was sent to take his measurements, he did not think the person who was responsible for making his tunic was none other than Princess Michelle herself. It was specially made for him and him only. (The other Champions wore scarves made of the same fabric. His was a tunic. They were completely different, Peter was adamant.) He ran his palms through the fabric, feeling the smoothness of it and the firmness of the stitches. For the first time in his life, he truly felt honored. The feeling warmed him up from the inside and thawed the stiffness that had accumulated on his back.

Peter watched the princess who sat right in front of him, carefully not to linger his gaze too long to fall into the category of ‘inappropriate’. Even just a few glances were enough for him to be stunned by her glorious beauty. Her skin glowed under the soft beams of sunlight seeped through the opening door to the balcony. Her long, soft curls cascaded over her shoulders, gently bouncing with the movements of her head. Peter steered his eyes away from her face before his stare became suspicious, only to become enamored with the way her slender fingers operated the fork and knife. He even began to imagine how those fingers looked like sewing the tunic—

He stopped his mind from wandering further.

Peter wished he could talk to the princess the way Liz did. From the way the two conversed, he suspected that they knew each other long before today and had a fairly close relationship. The Gerudo chief was a tall, muscular woman. She had all the typical traits of a Gerudo: tanned skin, flaming red hair; yet her majestic aura made her stood out from the other Gerudo. In contrast to her strong physical build, the almost-motherly gaze that she currently focused on the princess was tender. Although Princess Michelle maintained a grim face, Peter could tell from her posture that the tension in her shoulders eased when Liz was talking to her. It was clear that the older woman had the princess’ complete trust. Peter envisioned himself to become a strong, reliable knight for the princess to rely on and confide in. He had noticed the princess was in fact about two inches taller than him when he trailed behind her on their way to the dining hall. Suddenly, he was self-aware of his short stature and wishing he could sprout a few inches on the spot.

The king left the dining table after the arrival of another Sheikah woman, Cindy, as addressed by Shuri who followed at her elbow. Cindy the Sheikah woman had a blue Sheikah emblem tattooed on her forehead, indicating her strong bloodline and high status. They led the king away from the dining hall after a few quiet exchanges of words, leaving the princess and the Champions alone at the table.

Flash, the Rito archer who had been relatively silent throughout the whole process spoke to Peter abruptly.

“So, you’re the famous knight who’s the owner of some little darkness-sealing sword, eh?”

Peter jolted a little at his unexpected words, “Uh. Yes. I’m Peter.” He extended one hand to Flash.

Flash hummed and left his hand hanging, “You’re a lot shorter and frailer than I imagined.” He squinted at Peter out of the corner of his eye, then added as an afterthought: “And your voice sounds like a little child. How old are you, anyway?”

He never met any Rito before, but the man certainly made quite a first impression for the race of bird-like humanoids. Peter decided he didn’t like the guy. He didn’t let it show, though, or at least he hoped so.

“I thought he was a little kid, too! I mean, when we first met a while back.” Ned chimed in, “I saw someone bein' attacked so I rushed down the mountain to help him! He was a little tiny guy, so imagine how shocked I was to find he was handy with a sword!”

Peter knew that Ned meant well, but his wording certainly didn’t help mending his wounded ego.

“Peter’s very talented and incredibly skillful with a sword.” Gwen spoke up for the first time, “He single-handedly took on the Lynel of Ploymus Mountain that had been terrorizing our land. I was saved by his swift and graceful swordsmanship, actually.” She said rather timidly.

Princess Michelle whipped around her head to look at Peter. Her eyes were wide and clear like the crystals. There were golden speckles flickering in those eyes like amber gems under the warm daylight. Peter was dazed.

“That’s quite impressive.” Liz said amusingly, “Now I can trust you with our princess’ safety, I suppose.”

Peter lowered his head in the hope that no one noticed his faint blush.

“He really is the best swordsman I’ve ever seen. Did you know he bested adults in swordplay when he was only 4?” Gwen reaffirmed her admiration for Peter.

Peter wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it. He knew the idea of a four year old could wield a heavy sword must’ve sounded ridiculously absurd, let alone winning against grown-ups. That’s why he never told others about his experience from the past. People wouldn’t believe him and he’ll end up looking like a fool who’s making up lies to impress other people.

“Must have been some puny adults, then.” Flash didn’t bother to hide his detestation.

Peter was already insecure about his childlike appearance, and after Flash pointed out his voice, he began to worry about that, too. He thought he was better off staying silent for now. It wasn’t like he knew what to add to the conversation, anyway.

“Why don’t I have my court poet here to perform a little something for us on this memorable day, eh?” Someone who appeared to be a member of the royal family barked from the table next to them, “Brad, come on in with your accordion!”

A boy who was about Peter’s age came through the door from the corridor into the dining hall. He carried a huge accordion that was twice the width of his own body. Judging by his clothing, Peter concluded that he was yet another Sheikah. The boy smiled and revealed his blinding white teeth. He started to play the instruments.

The melody flowed beautifully and the sound resonated within the structure of the dining hall. Peter knew nothing about music, but he felt a sense of melancholy with a string of hope woven into it. He watched Princess Michelle’s profile as she listened intently to Brad’s performance.

If only Peter had learned how to play any instrument. Sadly, all he ever knew was how to handle a sword.

Everyone in the dining hall clapped after Brad finished his song, including the princess. Peter thought he even saw her smile for a fleeting moment. Brad grinned shyly to the applauding crowd, bowed in the princess’ direction. Peter stopped clapping almost immediately.

* * *

As Shuri promised earlier, she returned later to guide them through their plans to train the Champions. Princess Michelle introduced Dr. Shuri as the chief researcher at the Royal Ancient Lab, then proceeded to explain how they came to discover the ancient technology now known as the Divine Beasts and the Guardians.

“The Divine Beasts, as you all probably know, are these titanic mechanical wonders of ancient Sheikah technology. They require someone worthy to control them, thus I requested your help. I would like to thank you all once again for accepting this onerous task.” The princess bowed her head down to the Champions.

Peter was surprised to see the princess, who was not only a member of the royal family, but also the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, as told in legends and fairy tales, to bow down to someone so easily. All the other Champions seemingly accepted her gratitude without any fuss. Unlike the others who all came from their reclusive tribe away from Central Hyrule, he was a Hylian who was born to a family that has a long lineage of knights who swore allegiance to the Royal Family of Hyrule, after all. It wasn’t unreasonable for him to maintain the mindset of a servant, even after he was granted the title of “Champion”.

Princess Michelle and Dr. Shuri continued to show them their research notes, pointed out some researchers who were working on restoring the mobility of the Guardians excavated around the castle and informed them of the training course and schedule.

“So there are these things we called the Guidance Stones. Each Divine Beast has one on them. We believe it can be activated with a Sheikah Slate. Once activated, the Divine Beasts can be manually controlled.” Dr. Shuri’s effervescent tone showed her enthusiasm and fondness for the ancient technologies.

“A Sheikah Slate, you say?” Flash asked about the unfamiliar terminology.

“Ah! It’s a rectangular tablet of the size that can be held within my two hands, made of the same material as the Divine Beasts and everything!” Shuri put her hands up to show the size of said object, “We dug up that thingy just a few weeks ago! Cindy told the princess to hold on to it. You should show them later, Princess!”

The princess nodded, “I’ll get it from my study and show it to you.” She then turned and headed to the tower where her study located.

They stood idly under the marble gazebo in the courtyard, awaiting Princess Michelle’s return. While everyone else was starting to feel the tiredness from a day full of events, Ned pulled Peter aside and asked in a hushed voice: “So, how did you become the princess’ knight? When I heard from the princess that the top contender of her knight is the most accomplished swordsman of Hyrule, I thought: ‘That could only be Peter, My Hylian brother!’ And guess what? I was right! Haha!” Ned laughed heartily.

Honestly, Peter himself wasn’t sure of the reasons. All he knew was that the king demanded him to do the job and said he’s the most suitable candidate. He just assumed it’s because he was the chosen hero and the arrangement was purely out of convenience.

“It’s because the king saw you deflecting the blast coming from the Guardian that went out of control with a pot lid, you know.” Shuri had obviously heard what Ned said and sensed Peter’s confusion, answering the question directly to Peter.

Ned laughed some more and patted his back with the ginormous Goron hand twice the size of that of an average Hylian, causing Peter to stumble a bit.

Right at that moment, Princess Michelle returned to the group. Peter felt embarrassed.

The other Champions gathered around the princess at once. Flash seemed the most interested in the object held in her hands, “Hmph. This is the Sheikah Slate, eh?” He took over the Sheikah Slate to examine it with his hawk eyes.

“It is. Apparently there are more uses for it than we originally thought. Sadly, we’ve yet to decipher all of its secrets.”

Flash passed the Sheikah Slate carelessly into Gwen’s hands. She looked at it with curious eyes when Liz bent down to her and said: “The princess showed me something strange recently. Somehow it can create true-to-life images.”

“Oh, wow.” Gwen gasped, “I would love to see it.”

“Um, Princess...” Gwen shyly asked after a beat, “May I ask a special favor of you?” She turned around to look at Peter.

Now everyone’s eyes focused on him.

* * *

“Alright, this spot should work nicely.” Shuri offered to be the one to take the picture with the Sheikah Slate as she insisted the Champions and their leader, the princess, should all be in it.

Princess Michelle stood in the middle, with Liz on her right and Peter on her left. Flash next to Liz’ other side, Gwen next to Peter’s, and Ned stood behind them like a backdrop with his giant physique.

“Keep your eyes on the Sheikah Slate, everyone!” Shuri called.

All six pairs of eyes looked into the Sheikah eye emblem on the back of the Sheikah Slate.

“Ned, can you crouch down a bit? You’re as big as Death Mountain.”

Ned grumbled in acknowledgment, crouching and scooching closer to the front.

“What’s with the glum face, Princess? Gimme a big smile!”

Peter had to tilt his head up slightly to see Princess Michelle’s face from this close. Liz gave a consoling smile to her and gently touched the small of her back. The princess finally quirked up the corner of her lips and her shoulders relaxed.

Flash impatiently fidgeted about, facing sideways with his hands (wings?) on his hips.

“Flash, move your tail closer to the group.”

“Ugh, fine.” He sighed reluctantly, moving closer to the center.

“Gwen, you look so tense. Deep breaths, OK?”

“Right!” Gwen whispered to herself, taking in a few deep breaths to calm down.

Peter shifted his weight between his feet and ended up being just a bit closer to Michelle. He felt the warm body temperature radiated from her.

“Stay just like that! Here we go! Smile...”Shuri concentrated on getting them into the frame to get the perfect shot, “Click, snap!”

Ned hugged around the bunch of them with his huge arms at the last second, causing everyone except him to stumble, Flash and Gwen even nearly fell forward. Michelle leaned into Peter’s chest due to the disruption, both of them looking flustered.

Shuri captured the moment with the Sheikah Slate perfectly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this chapter being shorter than the last one (because it was supposed to be the second half of the first chapter, but, yeah).  
> I originally planned to write the whole thing in Peter's POV, but I might change that in the next chapter?  
> I'd like to hear what you think about the story so feel free to leave a comment! Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle's side of the story.

Deep into the night after the meeting with the Champions, alone in her bedroom, turning in her bed and failing to put her mind at ease was the princess of Hyrule, Michelle. What happened earlier that day still hadn’t fully settled amidst the haphazardly swirling thoughts in her head. Additionally, the last minute suggestion of a minor adjustment to their plan for tomorrow was giving her anxiety. Ned proposed, out of nowhere, that before they all set out on their respective journeys back to their villages to prepare for the training, the princess and the knight should officiate a dubbing ceremony. While she would rather put herself to work than took part in another meaningless ceremony, she couldn’t reject the proposal. The ceremony that Ned referred to wasn’t simply a dubbing ceremony, but one that was conducted far back in the distant history of Hyrule. A ceremony where the princess who possessed the sacred power of the Goddess gave her blessings to the hero and his sword.

She decided to discard her fruitless attempt to sleep, got out of the bed and came to the other side of the room in front of her bookshelves. Her eyes searched for the spine of a book that she hadn’t touched for quite some time. After a minute, she found the book and drew it from the shelf to her chest. She had no use of the content of the book now, but only the desire to look at the drawing that was inserted in the pages. A sketch of a boy who’s weeping in grief. She stared at the picture and let herself drown in the memories.

Before the day she turned 6, she had lived a peaceful and almost perfect childhood. Her father was the king of Hyrule and her mother was the beautiful queen who showered her with endless love. Michelle was gifted with the beauty reminiscent of that of the Goddess as well as intelligence, diligence and undying curiosity—all of which gave her a scholarly temperament. Her birth was celebrated by the people of Hyrule and she was adored by the residents of the castle. Her teacher—Mr. Harrington—who specialized in natural history liked her well enough despite the fact that she loved to bombard him with unexpected and tricky questions. The dessert chef in the kitchen who was affectionately known as Happy made the best fruitcakes in the world and enjoyed baking for her as much as she enjoyed his cakes. She was a charming young lady of considerable refinement who had great potential as a true leader—a statement anyone who’d ever met her would agree upon at once.

Perhaps it was all too perfect to last long. Her life had come to a turning point that paved her path for the succeeding decade.

The day before her sixth birthday, she woke up finding her mother absent from the castle. She would have thought her mother went out of her way to buy a present for her birthday, if it wasn’t for the fact that she had already found her present that was hidden under her bed. A queen had her duties, Michelle reasoned and carried on with her day without dwelling on the thought. She could wait till her mother came back to say thank you. She stayed up late that night to wait for her mother, but eventually fell asleep.

The next day morning when she woke up, the whole castle was in a shambles. Everyone around her wore a grim face and was hesitant to break the news to her.

Her mother died.

She knew what death meant, but she just couldn’t associate it with her mother—the person closest and dearest to her. The person who would read bedtime stories for her when she’s too excited to fall asleep. The person who would take care of her and sit by her bedside all day when she got sick. The person who showed her the beautiful landscape that could only be seen from the highest tower of the castle. The person who held her hand and taught her how to draw. How could someone so happy and alive be dead? Her mind understand the reality but her heart refused to believe the truth.

The queen’s funeral was held a week afterward. Unlike her father who stood by her side, delivering the eulogy shakily, Michelle was as calm and unmoving as a statue. She wasn’t unaffected, but somehow the emotions were still kept by the dam inside her. A lot of people outside the castle had come to the funeral as well. She looked at the crowd and scanned through their faces. Most of them shed no tears, even if their expressions showed some level of grief—except for a little boy with a full head of brown, messy curls. His eyes were red and puffy like he had been crying for hours. The boy had caught her attention with the most heart-wrenching countenance one would ever seen. She saw his face more closely when he came forward with a man and a woman to pay respect to the queen. They held the hands of the boy between them, checking on him every other time. His crying had subsided, but his eyes stared into the void and he looked like a husk of a human.

Michelle hadn’t stopped thinking about that boy for the rest of the day. When she was back alone in her room, she remembered her birthday gift that was still sitting under her bed. She picked it up and opened the parcel. It was a case of colored pencils. There were all sorts of new colors she’d never used before, like the blue of the sky and the brown of the soil, which reminded her of the landscape her mother showed her. The brown also reminded her of that boy’s hair and eyes.

She began to sketch the outline of his face, worked on the shading and finally filled in the details. Her drawing managed to capture his contorted brows and his mournful eyes.

Michelle wondered the true reasons behind his tears. Had he lost someone, too? If so, they must be very dear to his heart, like Michelle’s mother to her.

She finally felt the wave of grief washed over her and cried.

A year and three months later, her father gave her the king’s order to begin training to awaken the dormant power that was needed in the battle to come. However, with the queen who possessed those powers herself and was to tutor Michelle in its awakening and use died so suddenly before she was able to pass on her knowledge, Michelle had no one to guide her. Without any books or notes imparting such knowledge, she must train herself.

For a decade, she had trained in two of the three springs tied to the three Golden Goddesses of creation and offered her prayers. Ten pointless years were wasted. She failed to unlock the sacred power, again and again. The people who all counted on her to save the kingdom began to doubt her, losing their faith and calling her useless behind her back. She felt betrayed and lonely. She missed her mother’s comforting words encouraging her to pursue what she wanted, but her mother had left her long ago. Liz, the chief of the Gerudo was one of the few people Michelle could open up to. She was close to Michelle’s mother and knew her since forever. But Liz only came to visit her a few times a year. After all, she had duties to fulfill as the chief and the Gerudo Town was far away from the castle in the desert.

Sometimes when she felt helpless with no one to confide in, she would look at the picture of the boy at the funeral that she drew. She felt connected to him, somehow. Maybe it was the grief they both held. She wondered whether she will ever see him again.

Turned out the boy became a squire of Tony Stark’s—the captain of the Royal Guards—when she was 14. She heard from the gossiping servants that his name was Peter. He was quite famous around the castle, almost as much as Michelle herself. Apparently his swordsmanship was astoundingly impressive. The first time she saw him after the day of the funeral, he was practicing swordplay with the other soldiers. He was already in possession of the Master Sword and was promoted to Royal Guard at the time. She almost didn’t recognize him. If it wasn’t for his funny-looking left eyebrow and the familiar shape of his eyes, she could never guessed the boy and him were one and the same. He became a stoic swordsman and his face appeared expressionless at all times. His shoulders were broader and his jawline was more defined. He no longer resembled the kid in her memory, who was emotional and vulnerable. Michelle was almost disappointed to see him again, for the one person she felt related to had grown out of his weakness.

And yet she was still a failure. She had dedicated herself to years of self-training and had nothing to show for.

Over the past few years, she began to take an interest in the relic research. _“The power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground”_ , the prophecy stated. And beneath was where they found the great creations of ancient Sheikah technologies. Michelle had plunged herself into relic research, which she enjoyed far better than the physically and emotionally draining rituals of praying for the awakening of her power. A researcher’s work was logical, rational and rewarding—exactly the opposite of her spiritual training. After she became a proper member of the relic research team and made a significant breakthrough by discovering the key object later named as the Sheikah Slate, the guilt that was eating away at her receded temporarily. She had contributed to defending the kingdom against Ganon, even not in the way she was designed to. Maybe they could defeat their enemy solely with the wisdom of their ancestors’. Maybe completing the task that was asked of her didn’t need the one thing that she wasn’t gifted. She could still be of use to her people.

Seeing Peter stood in front of her with The Sword had brought back all her insecurities. He was the chosen hero by a sword that could recognize a worthy soul. And if the stories about him that she’d been told were anything to go by, he was indeed a masterful warrior. When she met his eyes at the dinner, she sensed the pureness of his soul. She wouldn’t even dream of questioning The Sword’s decision.

Which brought her back to her spiraling anxiety.

How could she, the one who failed to elicit her power within, give her blessings to the righteously chosen hero?

Regardless of her mixed feelings about him, the young Peter in the picture still spoke to her soul. Her head began to cool down at the sight of the portrait. She felt she owed it to the boy for being the only source of her comfort in the past ten years, to at least have the decency to treat him like a normal person. She decided she wouldn’t shy away from his gaze anymore.

* * *

She was startled when she heard a knock on her door the next morning. Nobody would come to her tower anymore these days, since she always dismissed the servants who were sent to help her. She didn’t wear makeup or style her hair in an updo. She was able to dress herself. She preferred to clean up herself than with the help of some servant who she knew for a fact spoke ill of her behind her back.

She opened the door, ready to shoo whoever it was away. The door swung open and revealed Peter, who briefly met her eyes before bowing down his head.

Michelle wasn’t prepared to see him just yet. Her back went rigid and her mouth felt dry.

“…Why are you here?” Her voice was scratchy and her tone was cold.

“It’s the king’s order.” He said in an unnaturally low voice and bowed down further till his upper body was almost parallel to the ground.

_The king's order._

“I don't need your escort inside the castle. You can meet me outside at the gate in ten minutes.”

Peter looked up to her, seemingly confused.

She shut the door in his face without waiting for him to respond.

Michelle was fuming. Her father’s decision to appoint a knight to watch over her wherever she went infuriated her. Her father would trust Peter more than his own daughter. Maybe he even wished to replace her with someone more competent, like Peter.

She waited a minute or so to make sure Peter was gone. She felt a little sting of guilt for taking her anger out on him, but she couldn’t help it. No matter how much she tried to persuade herself that it wasn’t Peter’s fault that she had to endure these hardships, the mere existence of his aggravated her inferiority complex.

He must have been annoyed by the way she treated him. He saw her fully dressed and was ready to go when she opened the door, so he must know she was deliberately avoiding his company. The more she thought about Peter's deflated figure a moment ago, the more she grew frustrated with herself.

She hurried to the front gate of the castle.

As soon as the gate was opened for her, Michelle immediately saw Peter waiting for her on the other end of the bridge across the moat. He saw her and once again bowed down to her. His courtly manners began to annoy her for some inexplicable reason.

They traversed across the bustling castle town and passed the town wall to the Sacred Ground south to the castle in Hyrule Field. Michelle walked in front and Peter silently followed her at a distance. She felt his eyes boring into her back and the anxiety bubbled up inside her all over again. Whenever she stopped, he stopped, too. She wanted him to come closer in order to talk to him, but he didn’t comply with her wish. She couldn’t tell what’s inside his head and her imagination began to run wild. Was he annoyed with her for her rudeness? Did he secretly think this ceremony was a stupid idea, or perhaps resent his job that was dumped on him to protect a useless princess? She had never felt more anxious about someone else’s opinion of her.

They reached the Sacred Ground surrounded by woods and rings of shallow ponds. The Champions had already gathered there, awaiting their arrival. Ned waved at them, Liz gave her a gentle smile, Gwen’s face lit up as she saw Peter, and Flash looked as cranky as ever.

“Can we get this over with as soon as possible?” Flash rolled his eyes, “I want to go back to training at the Flight Range already.”

“We’re doin’ this for the princess, remember?” Ned waved around his huge palms and Flash flinched a bit, “By imitating the ancient ceremony, maybe she’ll finally awaken that power!”

Ned’s words jabbed at Michelle’s self-esteem.

“Why don’t we just stand aside so they can finally get started, hmm?” Liz pushed at Flash’s back and beckoned the others to the lower ground away from the center.

The other Champions stood beside one of the pillars circling the center of the ground. They watched as Peter wordlessly kneeled at her feet, keeping his head low.

Michelle embarked on the recitation.

The words of the ancient ceremonial blessing tasted phony on her tongue. _Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword of that seals the darkness…in the name of Goddess Hylia…we pray that the two of you will grow stronger and be together as one._ How ironic. She didn’t feel anything akin to the power of Goddess flowing inside her. She even pitied herself at this point.

The Champions began to talk among themselves as the ceremony went on.

“Gee, this is uplifting…” Ned scratched his head, “She’s making it sound like we already lost.”

“Wasn’t this your idea?” Flash snidely remarked, “You’re the one who wanted to designate the appointed knight with all the ceremonial pomp, grandeur, and nonsense we could muster! Although…I think I’m on the same page as the princess regarding…this boy.” He huffed.

“Oh, give it a rest.” Liz sighed, “That boy is the living reminder of her own failures. Well, at least that’s how the princess sees him.”

Michelle dropped her hand that previously held in front Peter’s face, his eyes closed serenely. Nothing had changed, and she felt as powerless as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if my writing wasn't coherent enough…I really tried.  
> I started this fic because I wanted to write cute married couple petermj but instead I'm stuck with writing depressing character backstories ahaha…at least in the end it'll feel well-earned, I hope.  
> Again, thanks for reading and your comment would be very much appreciated and motivating!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Michelle went on a trip.

Princess Michelle was missing from the castle.

Peter knew he had screwed up. He didn't know how, but he could just tell that it was his fault. It had to be the plan he made.

That stupid plan.

Just about a week ago was the day of the dubbing ceremony and the Champions’ departure from the castle. Now as he was reflecting on everything that had happened since, it was as clear as day that her reaction in that morning when he visited her room was the first sign that this was bound to happen, but he was stupid enough to fool himself into thinking otherwise.

The subdued ceremony ended hastily. The four Champions had left and they were alone, standing on the spot where the symbol of three equilateral triangles—a part of the Royal Crest—was chiseled on the marble floor of the Sacred Ground.

The silence resumed. The whispering sound of shuffling leaves and flowing water seemingly magnified to fill the lack of words between them. Peter cautiously peeped up at her. She was already looking at him.

She considered him for a while before hesitantly extended an invitation.

“I’ll be heading to the cathedral, now. You can come with me…if you want?” Her voice was breathy and almost an octave higher than usual.

Her invitation alleviated his concern that she might be avoiding him at once.

“It is my honor, Your Highness.” He bowed in a knightly manner.

Peter did not see her wincing at his words and actions as she turned around, nor did he give much thought to her tone or mannerisms. If he had, he might have taken a more cautious approach. But he was too thrilled to think about anything else. The sheer happiness that her approval had brought him had occupied all of his thoughts.

They walked in a way similar to how they came: Princess Michelle was still the one leading the way. Only this time she noticed the difference between the lengths of their stride and accommodated him. Peter carefully kept his footsteps synchronized with hers.

The castle town was even busier now than earlier. People who lived here and travelers from all over the land of Hyrule had gathered on the streets, going about their day. They walked further away from the crowded Central Square where the market stalls surrounded the massive fountain, through the narrow alleys between the houses with blue-tile roofs, to their destination: the Hyrule Cathedral, sitting in the north-east corner of the castle town. Its size and layout strongly resembled that of the Temple of Time on the Great Plateau—the birthplace and the holy place of the kingdom. The cathedral also housed a grand statue of Hylia, like the Temple of Time did.

Most Hylians only came to pray when they were in desperate need of help from the Goddess Hylia, including Peter. It must have been years since the last time he visited here. To the contrary, the princess navigate her way with a sureness that he’d bet she could do it with her eyes closed. She must have came here frequently, maybe even on a daily basis, he noted to himself.

They stepped into the empty cathedral. The echo of their footsteps rang through the hall enclosed by walls decorated with stained glass windows and the rib vault ceiling, stirring the stagnant air within. Princess Michelle glided across the room and ascended the low-rise stairs which led to the base of the statue of Hylia that towered above them. Peter stayed behind her at ground level as the princess commenced her whispers of prayers.

He subconsciously tried to decipher her murmurs and recite them in his mind. She prayed for the people’s safety and the kingdom’s peace and prosperity. More breakthroughs in relic research. Something about growing a flower.

Peter noticed she didn’t once mentioned the sacred power. He had thought it must be her top priority. But then again, with what just happened at the Sacred Ground, maybe she thought it would be pointless to repeat the same wish that was rejected.

Truthfully, Peter could not understand how she’d fail to unlock the power of the Goddess. He believed in the legend of the princess being the reincarnation of the Goddess stronger than ever since he had been blessed with the presence of her ethereal beauty. Was it possible that the other deities were jealous of her and therefore had stolen the power away?

“Let’s go back to the castle. You’ll have to prepare for the journey.” Princess Michelle’s soft voice took Peter out of his train of thought. She had finished praying and was now standing in front of him, less than a foot away. Peter instantly jumped back out of instinct. The closeness between them had ceased to exist.

He had to run a few steps several times on their way back just to keep up with her. She dismissed him as soon as they reached the entrance leading to the barracks. After briefly reminding him the time and place at which they would set out for the Rito Village, she climbed up the outdoor stairway directly back to her tower.

Peter went back to the barracks. Most of the other soldiers were gone—probably training in the Guard’s Chamber, he wasn’t sure since he was exempted from the ordinary tasks of a soldier—except for Steve. Steve was one of the people who were friendlier to him. They weren’t exactly close or anything, but at least Steve treated him normally and occasionally offered him some good advice on various matters.

“Why aren’t you with the princess?” Steve questioned him as soon as he entered the room. Peter walked towards him and stopped by his bed that he was sitting on.

“She’s back to her room. And she told me to prepare for the trip, we’re going to the Rito Village tomorrow.” Peter explained with as much confidence as he could muster.

Steve hummed. “You’re 16, right?”

Peter nodded.

Steve smiled, “Then you’re the same age as the princess. You two should get along pretty well?” He nudged Peter’s shoulder.

Peter didn’t know how to respond. ‘Well’ wasn’t exactly the word he would use to describe how their interactions so far had gone.

“What’s the matter?” Steve asked, understanding the indication of some sort of problem from his silence.

“I’m not sure if she likes me or not.” Peter murmured.

“Well that doesn’t sound too great. You gotta be with her all the time during the trip, right? If she hates you, it’s gonna be torturous for her.” Steve said jokingly.

Peter frowned, “I don’t think she hates me. It’s just that…I don’t know what she’s thinking.” He recalled all the times he had observed her, “And she seems to be thinking all the time.”

Steve hummed, again. “Maybe you’ll be able to tell after you know her better?”

Peter contemplated and Steve let out a knowing laugh.

“Why aren’t you with the others?” Peter attempted to deflect.

“Ahh…It’s those damn Guardians, one of their beams grazed my leg.” Steve raised his left thigh off the bed, suggesting the location of the injury, “Those things are too powerful, don’t you think? Good thing they are our allies, huh? Unlike those Sheikah traitors who call themselves…Yiga Clan, was it?”

Peter grimaced at the mention of the Yiga Clan. He only gave Steve a single nod, then headed to his own bunk.

He started packing for the trip. He went through all his stuff—which wasn’t much—to make sure he got everything he needed. Besides his clothes and the sword, he didn’t own anything important enough that he would have to carry around with him. It might have to do with the fact that he didn’t have any hobbies—if cooking (eating) and swordplay didn’t count. He hadn’t read many books, nor did he own any, for that matter.

He wondered what did the princess do other than praying and researching. Obviously she knew how to sew, since she made his tunic. She most likely knew how to play some instruments, too. He could go on guessing all day, but he wanted to be sure.

He wanted to know more about her.

And that’s when Peter made his plan. He thought it would be a good idea to approach the matter at hand, seeing as he always froze when he was faced with her. So he made a list.

First and foremost, he would listen to her—not just hearing, but listening closely to what she had to say, paying his full attention to her. Everyone loved a good listener, and though he was not known for always being the best listener, he could be a great one when he wanted to. This was a no-brainer if you were trying to know more about someone, he concluded.

Secondly, he would observe her and attend to her needs. Any servant who had been to their master’s liking would know the importance of observation skills. But he also knew that there was a fine line between attentive and stalkery, he needed to be careful to not cross that line (or at least not to get caught).

Lastly but definitely not least, he had to show her his loyalty and dedication. It was the only way he could gain her trust, and her trust was absolutely crucial for him to execute his mission smoothly.

As her knight, his plan was completely justified. Getting to know her and hoping she’d take a liking to him and place her trust in him were all necessary, or so he thought.

* * *

Their journey to the Rito Village began at dawn. The end destination—Rito Village—was located in the Hebra region, which was to the north-west of Central Hyrule and was isolated by an enormous natural border that was the Tanagar Canyon. They decided to travel north and go around the canyon, since they plan to make a stop at the Royal Ancient Lab.

Both of them were riding on their own horse—Peter’s a liver chestnut horse and Princess Michelle’s a snowy white horse. He watched the golden sunrise shining on her lightly floating wavy hair from behind, wishing he could take a picture of the sight with the Sheikah Slate tied to the leather belt around her waist.

Different from the navy dress robes she wore for formal occasions on the previous days, she now wore a pair of grey pants with a top of the same shade of blue as his tunic. He can now saw her long, lean legs that were formerly hidden under the floor-length gown, hanging down on either side of the white stallion and bouncing rhythmically.

Their pace was fairly slow—partially because of the princess was having a bit of a difficulty taming her horse. He didn’t mind in the slightest, though, as it gave him more time to observe her (and more freely, too). Sometimes she would slow down to take pictures or scribble down some notes which Peter was dying of curiosity to read. He tried to sneak a peek a few times, but she seemed determined not to let him see, always blocking the things in her hands with her body from his sight.

What really bothered him, however, was how quiet she had been. He waited for her to say something—anything—to him, but all he got were a few glances from her sporadically. Those glances even decreased in frequency and duration after he caught her eyes a few times. He concentrated on listening to the sounds of horse gaits instead just to soothe the prickle of disappointment.

They arrived at the lab not long after they got pass the barren land of the Breach of Demise. Peter handled with the horses while the princess was invited inside the facility by Dr. Shuri, who only gave Peter a moderate smile and nod.

He stood still on the same spot for almost an hour.

Just when his back started to go slack, the princess emerged from the building. Peter perked up at the sight of her in an instant. There was a liveliness radiating from her that he hadn’t seen before as she walked straight up to him.

“You can put on your coat now, the temperature will drop significantly as we go further to the north.” She said to him briskly and pulled out a vest, a long coat and a cape with long fur collar from the saddlebag.

Peter was dumbfounded. He had completely overlooked the temperature factor regarding his choice of wardrobe.

She saw Peter gaping at her as she almost finished putting on all those layers of clothes, quickly realizing his unspoken issue.

“You forgot to bring your coat.” She did not say it as a question.

Before he could reply to her with something that would make him even more pathetic than he already was (which was anything, by the way), Michelle hauled a blanket out from another bag and wrapped it around him.

“It’s better than nothing.” She said in the quietest voice, almost as if she was telling it to herself.

Her hands were still pulling on the blanket, holding it in place. Her face was close enough to his that he could feel the puffs of her warm breath. Her long lashes curtained her placid eyes. He slowly raised his own hands to hug the blanket more securely. Then she let go and recoiled immediately.

Peter clutched the blanket firmly as if his life depended on it.

They were back on the road after having a quick meal, aiming at their next stop: Tabantha Village—a small and the only village on the year-round snowy Tabantha Mountain. They could barely make it there before midnight, so it was best they stay at an inn in the village for the night, then head to the Rito Village the next morning.

The visibility was poor in the fog when they had reached a certain altitude of the mountain, but it was far worse in the Tabantha Snowfield at night. They were caught in a snowstorm. Peter was freezing—the icy wind relentlessly assailed his body, flapping the blanket messily. The exposed parts of his body such as his face, ears and fingers went numb in the frigid weather. The coldness drilled through his scalp, hindering his ability to form coherent thoughts. He probably would have frozen to death without the blanket.

The light emitted through the dusty windows of the houses finally came into sight—when they were at the entrance of the village. The village consisted of just a few wooden huts scattered along the road, fenced with some wooden stakes. The existence of an inn in a small village like this was becoming more doubtful by the second.

As if on cue, a villager came out from the largest house with an oil lantern in hand to greet them.

“More travelers? Ha! Come on in, now! Hurry up!” The old woman beckoned them eagerly.

Once they settled and took care of their horses in the loafing shed nearby, they carried their luggage with them to the woman’s house.

They politely greeted the woman before the princess asked, “How much for two rooms?”

The woman shook her head and pointed at the door at the end of the corridor, “We’ve only got one.”

“…How come? I see there’s more rooms?” Her voice was shaky from the cold.

“This is a small village, you see! There are usually no visitors in this place.” She waved her hand around the room, “Mine is the only inn here, and we only have two spare rooms.”

The innkeeper stopped a beat before adding in a rather amused tone, “Strangely enough, you’re not the only pair of travelers tonight! The couple before you already took the other one, so that room is all there’s left!”

Michelle nodded stiffly and paid for the room. They dragged their bags through the dark corridor.

Peter entered their room after her and closed the door behind him. The fire was already built in the fireplace for them and the warm air clouded over him. His consciousness was ebbing away. He looked around the room—one full bed and one sofa chair—then wordlessly walked up to the chair and settled down.

Michelle watched him, standing by the bed and not moving.

Peter was exhausted. His bones were aching and his stomach was growling with hunger. His head was throbbing painfully. His pants and the blanket were damp and cold from the melted snow. But he was too tired to care about any of that. He curled his body and folded his limbs closely together, covering himself with the blanket. His eyelids drooped heavily and the drowsiness lulled him into unconsciousness. It was after the fire beside him gradually warmed up his body and dried off his clothes when his involuntary shudder finally subsided.

He didn’t know how long he had slept when he heard the soft sound of turning pages. Some of his consciousness had restored, but he still wasn’t fully awake. His eyes fluttered, opening for a few seconds. He saw a figure sitting up in bed and holding a book in his sleepy, blurry vision.

He fell back asleep listening to the peaceful sound of the rustling pages and the crackling fire.

Peter woke up the next morning wrapped tightly in the blanket and a thick coverlet over it. Michelle was absent from the room and her bed was tidily made—apart from the missing coverlet.

He got out of the chair and spread the coverlet back over the duvet, then noticed something at the side of the bed. There was a book with a pencil placed over its cover on the nightstand. The edge of a loose paper could be seen protruding between the pages. Could this be the notes that she had been taking along the road yesterday? Peter’s curiosity was at its peak.

Just when he was about to reach out his hand for the book, Michelle returned to the room and started to talk a mile a minute.

“The weather’s loads better. We should be able to arrive at the Rito Village within an hour.” Her voice was cheery and full of pent up excitement, “I knew the sky should clear right up in the morning. It’s actually easier than I thought to forecast the weather, you just have to pay attention to the temperature, humidity, the direction of the wind…I also noticed the chimney smoke—”

She came to her senses and cut off her gabble mid-sentence. Her eyes found his, fearfully searching for something. He stood rooted to the spot next to the nightstand and croaked out a choking noise from his throat.

Her lips pressed tightly together into a thin line and her gaze drifted away from him.

“I’ll take that. You won’t need that anymore.” She pointed at the blanket that was still hanging over his shoulders. He swiftly took it off and handed to her.

He felt utterly embarrassed about how awkward and ignorant he was. He just stood there, wide-eyed and gaping like a fish without a word passing his lips while she was talking about the science of weather observations. Knowing nothing of that field, he failed to think of an appropriate response. He sulkily thought to himself that his plan was failing miserably. How could he encourage her to talk more if he couldn't even engage in conversation with her?

As Peter was wallowing in despair, the princess had finished packing her bag and left the room without saying a word. He hurriedly followed suit.

When they rushed through the common room, Peter saw the couple who took the other room last night were sitting at the dining table and enjoying their breakfast. The pair eyed them curiously, probably wondering why they were leaving without feeding themselves first.

Peter sneakily glanced at the princess while they were readying themselves and their horses to set off again. Her cheeks looked slightly pink to him. He wasn’t sure whether it was because of the chilly temperature or due to her anger. He felt guilty about tampering her good mood, but he didn’t know how to redeem himself. He wished he had read more books and had more knowledge of the things she liked, just so he could be a more agreeable companion for her.

A brisk breeze brushed over him, sending chills down his spine. Maybe it wasn’t cold enough to freeze him, but he still missed the warmth of her blanket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter feels like a filler, it got much longer than I estimated so I decide to split it up…  
> I hope the writing is ok. Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading as always!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Rito Village](https://youtu.be/SKq6OwOSCqk)

Despite being in the general vicinity of the Tabantha Mountain—only separated by the surrounding Lake Totori—the Rito Village was much warmer and greener. The home to the flight-capable race was built in a rather peculiar form (from a Hylian’s perspective, at least): wooden birdcage-esque gazebos interconnected with platforms and spiraling staircases affixed to the sides of a giant stone pillar that stretches far up from the center of the lake.

The sun was high up in the middle of the sky as Peter watched the avian Divine Beast—Vah Medoh—hovering above the village through his squinted eyes from the landing platform. He was aimless, seeing that the princess had gone straight to the highest perch to visit the elder the moment they set foot into the village and left him free to wander elsewhere.

The purposeless free time had encouraged his moping. He felt like such a failure. After the incident earlier that day, he thought if there was any possibility that he could get her to like him before, it was surely gone now. He hadn’t even been much useful to her, either. They had not encountered any monsters on their way here, so his only prideworthy skill wasn’t even needed. Although he was grateful that their journey so far had been peaceful, he would very much like to get a dose of exultation from fighting off a Lynel. Slaying some fire-breathing lion-headed centaur surely was easier than trying to become a cultured and sophisticated man overnight.

Contrary to how he felt at the moment, he wasn’t stupid at all. He was often told that he was quick-witted, as a matter of fact. He had never been insecure about his intelligence.

Until he met Michelle.

More than once had he found his mind went blank and his head felt dizzy when he saw her. It might be a somewhat concerning condition, he thought, but it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.

What made it undesirable was that it had resulted in his inability to talk to her. Granted, there were other reasons contributing to that, such as his lack of experience in conversing with girls his age—maybe with the exceptions of Gwen and his other Zora friends, but that was a long time ago.

Living his life mostly surrounded by men, one of his scarce sources of knowledge concerning women was the other soldiers’ ‘guy talk’ sessions. He was never interested in joining in on those discussions about girls that they held semi-regularly, but he now wished he had at least listen to some of them.

Yet even if he had, he didn’t think it would be much helpful. Michelle wasn’t just any girl. She was smart and beautiful on a different scale than any other people he had met. He doubted that the other soldiers would have any insights into understanding someone like her.

Also she was a princess and basically a goddess.

The more he thought about the situation, the more hopeless he became. He still didn’t want to give up on getting her to like him, but he supposed there were other more important goals to achieve. Specifically, showing her his loyalty.

Just when he was trying to think of a way to impress her, the floor of the landing platform began to shake vehemently. A swirling updraft of whirlwind formed around him out of nowhere.

Spinning and soaring from below to up above his head, then landed gracefully on the platform’s railing in front of him was Flash, arms (wings) folded and smuggly smiling down at him.

Peter could already sense the coming of a patronizing speech.

“Impressive, I know. Very few can achieve the mastery of the sky.” Flash delivered in a sing-song voice as if he were performing a poetry reading.

“Yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar.” An upward swing with his left hand into a fist, “It’s considered to be quite the masterpiece of ariel technique, even among the Rito.” A sideways triumph pose.

“With proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn’t easily dispense with Ganon.”

Peter said nothing. Flash jumped off the railing and slowly marched to his side.

“Now then, my ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note…” Flash closed in on him, “But let’s not—pardon me for being so blunt—let’s not forget the fact that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito.”

“Yet despite these truths, it seems that I have been tapped to merely assist you.” He came around to Peter’s front, raising one finger to point in his face, “All because you happen to have that little darkness-sealing sword on your back.” The finger now directed to the sword.

“I mean, it’s just…asinine.” Flash sighed.

Peter could feel the rage boiling up inside him.

“Was that annoyance I saw on your face? How about we just settle this one on one?” Flash tilted his head to the side.

“But where…?” He brought one hand to his chin, feigning contemplation, “Oh, I know! How about up there?” He waved his palm to the flying Divine Beast.

“Oh, you must pardon me.” He snickered, “I forgot you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own!”

Flash took off and once again soared higher into the sky, barking out a laugh so loud that even Peter can hear from the ground.

A moment later, Peter heard the footsteps of the princess drew near from behind and swiftly turned around.

“Have you seen Flash?” She was asking him, but her head was swiveling around to look for Flash.

“He just flew away.” Peter answered stiffly.

“That's a shame.” She dropped her head and looked at her feet, “I was just going to ask him to take me up to the Divine Beast…I can’t go up there without his help.”

Flash’s annoying voice rang in his ears. The thought of letting her to ride on his back irritated Peter greatly.

“Why don’t we ask the other Ritos?” He proposed.

“Why? Flash pilots Medoh, he’s familiar with it and therefore perfect for the job.” She finally looked at him, eyes confused. Then she seemed to realize something, “…Is this about his attitude towards you? You don’t like him because he was rude?”

She was unusually nervous.

“I just don’t know if we can trust him with such an important task.” Peter promptly explained.

She frowned at him, but not quite meeting his eyes, “I do. I trust him. You may not care for him, and I know he doesn’t appear to be very likable…but I saw him training at the Flight Range incessantly to push his archery skills to the limit. He took the responsibility very seriously. The children here look up to him, you know?” She was squeezing her own fingers while she added: “I think he’s just frustrated with you because of your position. You should give him a little time to adjust…he’s not a bad person.”

Peter felt slightly ashamed of himself. He had let Flash get to him too easily. He had been too quick to judge Flash—he forgot that just like how Flash didn’t know the real him, he had no knowledge about Flash’s past, either.

“I’ll go wait for Flash at the elder’s. You should go get some rest and eat, your face look even paler than usual.” Michelle said timidly, then she turned and left.

He was agonizing over again. He got angry because Flash was wrong about him, but also right about some other things. Flash was wrong about doubting Peter’s capability. Way Before he owned The Sword, he had already proved himself countless times. His military prowess had nothing to do with the weapon.

But Flash was right, about it all being The Sword’s fault. If he was never chosen, he could still run away from all the responsibilities. He carried the burden because of it, and yet he was constantly doubted by others and himself.

He wondered will he ever be good enough to stop that.

* * *

His stomach was painfully churning in hunger.

After the princess left him again, Peter had wandered around the Rito Village. Aside from the inn, the shops and the villagers’ abodes, there was a place with a cooking pan for public use. He had not eaten anything for a full day now, so he went searching for food.

He found some salmon swimming in the pond on the way to the Rito’s entrance. The pond was shallow, so he just went in and snatched two of them with his hands.

When he was back to the place with the cooking pan, it was occupied by a Rito woman. A nutty aroma came from the pan filled his nostrils, increasing his hunger.

“Oh! You want to use the pan? Just a few more minutes then I’ll be done!” The woman said while putting back the pot lid.

Peter nodded.

“I’m Emily, by the way. How about you, traveler?”

“Um, I’m Peter.” He moved nearer to the pan and shook hands with her.

“Nice to meet you, Peter.” She said happily, “Who are you cooking for?”

Her question reminded him that the princess must have been starving, too. He should cook for her. Wait for her to come back.

“For someone special.”

He had no idea why he said that.

“Well, that makes two of us! I’m baking nutcake for my daughter.” She smiled sweetly, “What are you cooking for your sweetheart?”

_Your sweetheart._

Peter blushed fiercely. Emily chuckled.

“Is that hearty salmon? That’s all of your ingredients? That won't do.” She spotted the salmon in his hands, “How about I lend you some ingredients, like the wheat flour and goat butter…you should make a salmon meunière! Does that sound alright for your sweetheart?”

“I don’t know what she likes.” Peter did not correct her obvious blunder.

“First time cooking for her, huh? You should do that more often and ask for feedback, then you'll get to know her preferences!”

He hoped she liked salmon meunière. Then maybe she’d let him cook for her more in the future.

After Emily went to her daughter and got the ingredients for him, she returned and assisted Peter when needed.

“You filleted the salmon nicely! Now, season it with some salt and pepper first, then cover it with flour…”

Peter did every step as she told carefully. He put the evenly coated salmon skin side down in the pan pre-heated with melted brown butter. Emily gave him some more goat butter to put on top of it.

Peter listened to the sizzling sound of the fish, waiting for it to be ready to turn over.

The sky is getting darker. He stared up to the Divine Beast, anticipating her return.

He’s not starving anymore since Emily shared some nutcake she made with him.

Michelle must be really hungry. She might have a smaller appetite than him, but she still needed to eat.

He finished frying the salmon then made some lemon sauce to put on top.

* * *

The salmon meunière was almost ready, so Emily volunteered to look over the fish and sent him off to find his ‘sweetheart’.

He went to the landing platform, and she wasn’t there. She wasn’t at the elder’s or any other villagers’ abodes or inside any of the shops, either.

Peter went to the inn where they were staying for the night and found her sleeping in the bed.

He came up to the side of her bed and saw a book lay by the pillow. She must have fallen asleep reading, exhausted from the long hours of examining and adjusting the Divine Beast.

He put the book away on the nightstand and sat on the stool beside. He watched her chest rose and fell steadily. Her face looked peaceful and content.

When he went back to told Emily to eat the fish instead half an hour later, she was already gone.

Peter returned to his own bed in the inn. He sat and watched Michelle sleeping across the room till the drowsiness came on.

_It’s a shame she didn’t get to taste the salmon. Maybe next time I’ll have better luck._

Peter dreamed about something nice, but he couldn’t remember after he woke up the next morning.

Michelle was sitting on her bed and watching him.

“I bought some bananas, flour and sugar, I’m making fried bananas. You want some?” She said to him.

Peter was astounded. He thought he was still dreaming, but he quickly nodded. Even if it was just a dream, he still wanted to make breakfasts with her.

He was more awake on their way to the kitchen, walking behind her and starting to get nervous.

Emily was there at the cooking pan once again. She saw Peter and Michelle and greeted them.

“Hi, again! I see you got the bananas I suggested!” Emily said to Michelle first, then turn to Peter, “Morning, Peter! You were gone too long last night so I ate the salmon before it went completely cold. It was delicious! How about I give you some of my apple pie here in return?”

Michelle flashed a look between him and Emily then shifted her stance, edging away from him.

Just when Peter was about to decline her, Michelle spoke up.

“I’m really hungry, so it’ll be great if I don’t have to share.” She said, completely deadpan.

Peter ate the apple pie. It tasted great, but he got tired of it after one bite.

They were about to depart from the village and head to the Great Plateau to investigate the newest discovery of the relic research team that apparently Shuri informed the princess of, when Flash came to give them a send-off at the gate.

He nodded at the princess then turned to look at Peter. He cleared his throat and begrudgingly mumbled, “Good luck sealing the darkness.”

Michelle gave Flash a tight smile. Peter shook his hand. They established a truce.

At least between Peter and Flash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to finish this chapter this fast…this might be the last update before the end of the year but honestly idk  
> Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and thank you for reading as always!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic so please don't go too hard on me. English is not my native language so I apologize for any errors. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think and thank you for reading!


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